Hamas

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Hamas
حركة المقاومة الاسلامية
Founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin
Mahmoud Zahar
Founded 1987 (1987)
Preceded by Palestinian Muslim Brethren
Headquarters Gaza, Palestinian territories
Ideology Sunni Islamism
Palestinian liberation
Religion Sunni Islam
International affiliation Muslim Brotherhood

Hamas or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya ("Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni Islamic organization now ruling the Gaza strip. It has a social service wing and a military wing. The organization wants to establish an Islamic state in Palestine.

Hamas was founded in 1987 and originated as the Gaza branch of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. It gained popularity which may be related to causes such as dissatisfaction with the more secular PLO organization/administration, social services provided by Hamas, and generally increasing religiousness in Muslim countries. The organization won the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections but there has been no new parliamentary election since. Israel initially supported the Hamas for reasons such as dividing the Palestinians. It has also been suggested that some Israelis who do not want a two-state solution prefer to have Hamas as the opposition for propaganda reasons.[2] Several countries and organizations have designated Hamas or just the military wing as a terrorist organization.

History

Hamas rocket vs israeli rocket.jpg

The "Islamic Resistance Movement" is a democratically-elected Palestinian Sunni Islamic[3] militant organization and political party which currently holds a majority of seats in the legislative council of the Palestinian Authority.[3] Despite it being a Sunni group, in more recent times Hamas has been under the influence of Shia Iran, who are less barbaric than most Sunni militant groups.

Hamas was created in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin of the Gaza wing of the Muslim Brotherhood at the beginning of the First Intifada. They are known for their militant resistance to the Jewish invaders and thieves of their homeland, including sometimes suicide bombings. Hamas also runs extensive social services in Palestine. Hamas' charter calls for the destruction of the Zionist terror regime and its replacement with a Palestinian Islamic state in the area that is now the Zionist State, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by ZOG ruled countries like Canada,[4] Israel,[5] Japan,[6] and the United States,[7] and is banned in Jordan.[8] Australia[9] and the United Kingdom[10] list only the military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, as a terrorist organization. The European Union lists Hamas as a group 'involved in terrorist attacks' and has implemented restrictive measures against Hamas.[11]

Since the death of Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat, Hamas's political wing has entered and won many local elections in Gaza, Qalqilya, and Nablus. In January 2006, Hamas won a surprise victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, taking 76 of the 132 seats in the chamber, while the ruling Fatah party took 43.[12] The Hamas charter states: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad,"[13] and this stance has found a receptive audience among Palestinians; many perceived the preceding Fatah government as corrupt and ineffective, and Hamas's supporters see it as an "armed resistance"[14] movement defending Palestinians from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.[15] Hamas has further gained popularity by establishing hospitals, education systems, libraries and social services[16] throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.[17] The Palestinian territories have experienced internal conflicts for many years; since Hamas's election victory, particularly sharp infighting has occurred between Hamas and Fatah, leading to many Palestinian deaths.[18][19]

Politics and wars

After coming to power, Some of Hamas leaders have announced Hamas was giving up suicide attacks and "offered a 10-year truce [with Israel] in return for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories: the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem."[20][21][22] Hamas also declared a unilateral ceasefire with Israel which, after Israeli air strikes in response to Hamas smuggling weapons into Gaza, was formally renounced.[23]

Following the Battle for Gaza in June 2007, when Hamas used force to take control of the Gaza Strip after Fatah refused to hand over control to the new government, elected Hamas officials were ousted from their positions in the Palestinian National Authority government in the West Bank and were replaced by rival Fatah members as well as independents.[24][25] On June 18, 2007, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah) issued a decree outlawing the Hamas militia and executive force.[1][2]

According to the US State Department, the group is funded by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Palestinian expatriates, and private benefactors in other Arab states.[7]

One lie Israel uses is claiming Hamas uses human shields. This is a myth that is easily debunked.[26] Furthermore, in 2005, the Israeli high court found that Israeli soldiers had used Palestinian civilians as human shields 1,200 times in the past 5 years.[27] There's even many videos showing the IDF using Palestinians as human shields.[28][29]

External links

References

  1. ↑ This salute is used not due to a strong belief in Fascism or National Socialism, but exclusively to provoke the Jews of Israel, who want the world to judge this gesture as a "Holocaust taboo".
  2. ↑ How Israel helped create Hamas https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/07/30/how-israel-helped-create-hamas/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Hamas sweeps to election victory", BBC News.
  4. ↑ Keeping Canadians Safe, Public Security and Emergency Preparedness Canada, National Security, Listed entities. Accessed July 31, 2006.
  5. ↑ The Financial Sources of the Hamas Terror Organization (Israel MFA)
  6. ↑ Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook 2005 states that it has frozen the assets of "terrorist organizations, including... Hamas."
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Country reports on terrorism 2005", United States Department of State. Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. US Dept. of State Publication 11324. Released April 2006
  8. ↑ Karmi, Omar. "What does the Hamas victory mean for nearby Jordan?", The Daily Star, February 18, 2006
  9. ↑ Listing of Terrorist Organisations, Australian Government Attorney-General's Department, 27 January 2006. Accessed July 31, 2006.
  10. ↑ " United Kingdom Home Security Office. Terrorism Act 2000. Proscribed terrorist groups
  11. ↑ "Council Decision" Council of the European Union, December 21, 2005
  12. ↑ "Who are Hamas?". BBC News. January 26, 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1654510.stm. 
  13. ↑ "The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)", MidEast Web, August 18, 1988; "The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement", The Avalon Project at Yale Law School, retrieved April 22, 2006.
  14. ↑ Kristen Ess. "Why Hamas Won" ZNet. Palestine, January 31, 2006.
  15. ↑ "Who are Hamas?". BBC News. January 26, 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1654510.stm. 
  16. ↑ "Palestinian election raises varying opinions within U". The Minnesota Daily. January 31, 2006
  17. ↑ Hamas activities Council on Foreign Relations
  18. ↑ "The Gangs of Gaza", Newsweek, June 26, 2006.
  19. ↑ "...they find themselves on the brink of civil war in a power struggle between the governing Hamas movement and President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah group. In two days of fighting between the two rival and well-armed factions, 12 Palestinians have been killed and more than 100 wounded, and there are few signs the months-long political dispute at the centre of the violence is about to die down." al-Mughrabi, Nidal and Assadi, Mohammed. Palestinian in-fighting provokes despair, frustration, Reuters, October 3, 2006.
  20. ↑ "Who are Hamas?" BBC News. January 27, 2007.
  21. ↑ Ali Abunimah, author of "One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse," states: "It had observed the unilateral truce with Israel. It had given up suicide attacks against Israeli civilians. And there was no response to that. On the contrary." "As Hamas Seizes Full Control of Gaza and US Prepares Further Isolation, What Next for Palestinians?" Democracy Now!. June 15, 2007.
  22. ↑ "Hope for a Mideast resolution could grow with Hamas leadership" Christian Science Monitor. January 31, 2006.
  23. ↑ "Hamas threatens to break ceasefire after Israeli air strikes" Telegraph.co.uk. October 17, 2006.
  24. ↑ Carter: Stop favoring Fatah over Hamas The Jerusalem Post June 19 2007
  25. ↑ Exposing the bitter truth of Gaza carnage The Age June 23, 2007
  26. ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israelgaza-conflict-the-myth-of-hamass-human-shield-9619810.html
  27. ↑ http://investmentwatchblog.com/israeli-high-court-israeli-soldiers-used-palestinians-as-human-shields-1200-times/
  28. ↑ Israeli army using Palestinian children as Human Shields
  29. ↑ Human Shield: Israeli police use cuffed teen to calm protests
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